principles of the Declaration of Independence. Let us make up our minds that whenever we do put a new star upon our banner, it shall be a fixed one, never to be dimmed by the horrors of war, but brightened by the contentment and prosperity of peace. Let us go on to extend the area of our usefulness, add star upon star, until their light shall shine over five hundred millions of a free and happy people.

This fine sentiment called forth a tremendous outburst of applause. The President then threw off his over-coat in a manner which so indubitably indicated his early education to hard work, as to create much pleasant remark. A prayer was then offered, a gun was fired, when, hand over hand, the President raised the National ensign to the staff-the new ensign of thirty four Stars. The vast audience shouted its gratification until very hoarseness induced silence.

At Harrisburg.

At

At Harrisburg.

"HONORED SIR-In behalf of the Senate of Pennsylvania, I welcome you to the Capitol of the State. We deem it a peculiar privilege, and a happy omen, that while on the way to assume the duties of the high office to which you have been called at this momentous period of our national history, we are favored by your presence at the seat of our Gov. ernment on the anniversary of the birth-day of the Father of his Country. The people of Pennsylvania, upon whom rests so large a share of the responsibility of your nomination and election to the Presidency, appreciate the magnitude of the task before you, and are fully prepared to sustain your admin. istration according to the Constitution and the laws. Whatever differences of opinion existed prior to the election as to the political questions involved in the canvass, they, as law-abiding, Constitution, Unionloving people, have no differences now. There is no

difference among them as to your right to claim their duty, and they will render you support accordingly. Here, to-day, are assembled men of all parties and shades of opinion to welcome and honor the Constion-tutionally-chosen President of the Union. Nor have we viewed with indifference the recent public expressions of your views on a subject closely affecting the material interests of Pennsylvania, that it is not only right, but the duty of the Government, while providing for revenue by a tariff, so to regulate the duties as will afford protection to the industrial interests of the country. Your recent expressions, therefore, as to the true policy of the Government, have afforded profound satisfaction. Deeply inpressed with the honor of your visit at this interesting time, we pray God that you, whom the people have elevated to the chair of Washington, and to whom they have largely confided their highest interests, hopeful of beneficent results from wise and just measures, may not disappoint them; and they trust that such will signalize your administration."

At half-past nine the ward journey was resumed. Under an escort of the State Legislative Committee, he visited Harrisburg, accompanied also by a large number of the most eminent men of the State. various places along the route demonstrations were made, and brief speeches were returned. At Harrisburg the reception was unusually imposing. The town was gayly decorated with American flags, guns were fired, and every manifestation of pleasure exhibited. The President was escorted by Governor Curtin to the hotel in a barouche drawn by six white horses, accompanied also by a fine military garde de corps. Arriving at the hotel, from its balcony he was publicly welcomed to the Capital by the Governor in a very cordial and personal manner, to which Mr. Lincoln responded, reciprocating the feelings expressed, of anxiety for the country, trusting that a resort to arms never would become necessary. In his efforts to avert that unspeakable calamity, the people must sustain him. He brought to the responsibilities of his peculiar trusts an earnest heart and willing hands, and if he failed it should be from no lack of exertion on his own part.

. At the Legislative Halls he was thus addressed by the Speaker of the Senate:

On the part of the House, its Speaker extended the hand in a heartfelt welcome, pledging the devotion of Pennsylvania to the Union, the Constitution, and the laws. Pennsylvania, though always ready for peace, stands ready to pledge both men and money to sustain the Government, if need be, to enforce the laws. In conclusion, he said the people had only one wish, one prayer, and that was for the success of the Administra tion of Abraham Lincoln, and the maintenance of the Union.

To these significant addresses Mr. Lincoln responded:

THE HEGIRA.

The Hegira.

The Hegira.

But he remained

courteously; but it was as- | thronged-all anxious for a certained that some of the word with him who was to most vicious elements of direct the destiny of the Rethat turbulent city had been incited by unprin- public, for good or for evil. cipled men to raise a mob on the occasion of in private to all visitors. At eleven o'clock, in his appearance—at once endangering life and company with Mr. Seward, he called upon the city's honor. To avoid this, and frustrate Mr. Buchanan. The surprise of the occupant whatever plans for mischief might have been of the White House was great; but he gave matured, were the secret of that precipitate his successor a very cordial greeting. The movement. There was neither courage nor a Cabinet being in session, Mr. Lincoln passed want of it shown in the step. It was one of pru- into its chamber, to the surprise and the dedence merely; and, though a large portion light of its members. A call was made upon of the public, at the time, thought the Presi- | General Scott, but the veteran was not on dent should have gone through the Baltimore duty. Thus, dispensing with all formality, reception because of the threatened danger, it the Republican President set a good example soon was felt that his course had been one of of Republican simplicity of manners and wisdom. The violent tone of the Baltimore kindness. papers of "Southern" proclivities gave the friends of the President good reason to feel that he had escaped humiliation, if not injury, at the hands of his implacable political enemies.*

Mr. Lincoln's unexpected advent at the Capitol took all by surprise. Preparations on a large scale had been made for his reception; the Mayor had written an address of congratulation and welcome; the military had prepared new uniforms and reburnished their arms; the two Houses of Congress were in for an early adjournment, and the "coming man" was the theme of general remark. All preconcerted arrangements were frustrated, for he came in their midst an unheralded and unexpected guest. When it became known that he was in the city, his hotel was *The Albany Evening Journal published a detailed account of the existence of a conspiracy for the President's assassination, of which a well-known detective had been apprised. Its plan embraced a riot at Baltimore, on the arrival of the Presidential train, during which Mr. Lincoln was to be stabbed or shot. This account was understood to have been furnished by Frederick A. Seward, who was the special messenger sent from Washington to arrange for the night flight. The New York Times repeated this story, only adding to its exciting detail by asserting that eminent statesmen, bankers, and others, were in the secret of the conspiracy for the assassination. Without presuming to pronounce upon the credibility of this reputed conspiracy, we think a sufficient apology-if such were needed-for the incognito entrance to the Capital will be found in the fact that Mr. Lincoln acted by advice of General Scott.

During the day he received visitors freely. All partisan feeling seemed to be forgotten, and Democrats vied with Republicans in their really genial welcome. Only the extreme Southern men stood aloof; they had no word of welcome for a man who, it was felt, would rule without fear, and prove faithful to his oath to sustain the Constitution and the laws.

In the evening, by appointment, Mr. Lincoln received the "Peace Congress" members. The entire body was presented to him, and a cordial hour passed in an informal greeting. After the interview, the President was called upon to confront the ladies of Washington, who had congregated in the parlors of the hotel to be introduced to a man of whose ugliness of feature and ungainliness of form they had heard so much. Mr. Lincoln received them in a manner at once graceful and possessed. This closed his first day at the Capital. Thereafter he was to enter upon the thorny field of Administration. A Cabinet was to be chosen, Ministers to be selected, a settled policy to be drawn out of that fearful distraction. The brief interval of ten days, prior to his inauguration, was to be among the most trying of his experience; for the claims of persons to posts of honor-the rights of sections-the harmonization of conflicting interests--the disposition of places demanding a peculiar fitness-all were among those minor annoyances of administration which rendered the yoke anything but easy to bear.

The Twenty-five
Million Loan.

dollars to meet the wants of Government up to June. February 1st, Mr. S. introduced, in the House, his Loan bill, calling for twentyfive millions. The representations made, and the good management used, crowded the bill through without delay. February 2d it went to the Senate, which returned it to the House slightly modified. A conference soon consummated its final passage, but it did not receive the President's signature until Feb. 9th.

THE financial condition January 18th he sent to Financial Condition of of the National Treasury, in Mr. Sherman, Chairman of the Treasury. the early part of February, the Committee of Ways and was such as to excite no little uneasiness in Means, an exhibit of the state of the Treasthe mind of the Secretary. Of the twenty-ury, and asked for twenty-five millions of million loan authorized the previous June, but a little more than seven millions had been taken. Mr. Cobb's financiering had shaken the credit of Government so far, that its paper not only no longer commanded a premium, nor even touched par, but was only disposed of at ruinous rates. The act authorizing the loan restricted its sales at par, and capitalists refused to take it. This refusal left the department nearly bankrupt, at the moment of Mr. Cobb's withdrawal, " to lend the force of his great financial genius to the construction of a new Government." He assumed the keys of a plethoric chest-he left the keys of an empty one.

Pending its passage, Mr. Dix had addressed the Governors of the loyal States, advising that the Legislatures should endorse the loan to the extent of the special deposits held by them of the surplus fund. To this proposition several States answered promptly-the loyal-hearted Ohio being first. She, holding $2,097,000 of that fund, would guarantee the Government loan to that amount. Pennsylvania next voted to endorse for her quota in-$2,800,000. These endorsements were not, however, accepted by the terms of the act— hence the loan went forth offering only the Government's faith as security. This so far weakened the prospect for favorable bids, that Mr. Dix sought to obtain a special act authorizing the acceptance of the proffered State guarantees, to the extent of the eight millions first to be put on the market. In possession of these, he felt that the offers would be of a very satisfactory character. He communicated his wishes in the matter to Mr. Sherman, under date of February 12th, in the following exhibit:

Mr. Dix, upon assuming charge of the Treasury Department, set about recuperating its exhausted finances. He was chosen for his fitness. In that hour of calamity, it behooved the President to call to his side men of reputation for integrity, who would, some degree, restore the confidence of an outraged people. Devotion to "Southern interests" had ruined his Administration, and he could only save his memory from being written Odious by rising above a partisan's ambition at the last hour. Mr. Dix, as the representative of Northern sentiment, and having the confidence of the magnates of Wall street, was a wise choice; and if the brief period of Mr. Buchanan's term would not allow of a full restoration of public credit, it would, at least, permit him to stay the decline which threatened a fatal issue.

SIR-I deem it my duty to "I have discharged my duty to them and to the call your attention to the press-country, by making this exhibit of the public wants, ing demands on the Treasury, and in pointing out the only mode by which, in my and to suggest the only mode of meeting them with- judgment, they can be met without the most serious out seriously impairing the public credit. The lia- consequences to the interest of the Government, and bilities due and to fall due before the 4th of March individuals to whom it is indebted. The short time next, are as follows: to elapse before the close of the present session of Congress renders it indispensable that I should advertise for a loan on the 13th or 14th inst., at the farthest.

NOTE.—These are the round numbers, making a total of duction of the resolution of enactment. His